Even family doctors believe reproductive technology is more effective than it is, expert says

By Erin Ellis, Vancouver SunMay 17, 2013

It’s not just women who overestimate their fertile years, but also family doctors who tell 30-somethings to stop worrying, says Judith Daniluk, a professor in clinical psychology at the University of British Columbia.

She has been counselling women about reproductive issues for 30 years and says the speed of scientific advancement leaves many people thinking that technology can trump nature.

Some women tell her they’ve asked their doctors to refer them to a fertility specialist in their early 30s only to be told they have plenty of time.

“There are a lot of doctors who also believe that fertility treatments like IVF can give women the opportunity to have children when they’re ready, if they don’t wait too long. What’s too long?” says Daniluk.

“Technology is moving so quickly, how can they stay on top of it? It becomes incumbent on women and their partners to say, ‘I’m not going to take no for an answer’ and, ‘I’m going do this because it’s the best thing to do.’”

She conducted a study that questioned 3,300 childless women across Canada last year. The results showed that 91 per cent of women believed that IVF could help most women have a baby using their own eggs up until menopause.

That’s simply not true. Not only do IVF success rates fall dramatically after age 35, they’re non-existent over 45 using a woman’s own eggs.

The study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Assisted Human Reproduction Canada.

Daniluk’s team at UBC also runs a website, myfertilitychoices.com, which offers information, personal stories and guidance about making decisions.

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